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Kuling Trend Continues

January 24, 2017, 12:39 PM ET [3 Comments]
GARTH'S CORNER
NHL news by Garth • RSSArchiveCONTACT
The Ottawa Senators have acquired forward Tommy Wingels from the San Jose Sharks in exchange for Buddy Robinson, Zack Stortini and a 7th round draft choice.

Ottawa have 55 points in 45 games and are in a playoff position today. This trade gives them a depth winger who can play in the bottom six. This trade happens because earlier this week Sens GM Pierre Dorion announced that veteran winger Clarke MacArthur will not be returning to the Sens lineup this season as he continues his concussion recovery.

In 37 games for the Sharks this season, the 28-year-old Wingels has five goals and eight points. For his career, the former sixth round pick has 51 goals and 122 points in 337 games played.


As part of the trade, San Jose will retain 30% of Wingels’ 2016-17 salary, which is $2.48 million.



Wingels will be UFA on July 1.



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Welcome back, Dmitry Kulikov.

Even though he did not participate in the Tuesday morning shoot and skate around in Nashville, Kulikov will play tonight against the Predators.

Kulikov to the Buffalo News that this is a day he has been waiting a long time for.


"Getting back in the lineup is something I’ve worked for really hard in the past couple weeks. It wasn’t a fun year for me so far."


Kulikov was placed on IR on December 29 due to his recurring back injury that he suffered in a September exhibition game.





The human spine nor it's many delicate vertebrae were not meant to be smashed into metal and hard plastic by 6'3" 225 lb. men moving 20 to 30 miles per hour.

I've been told that the collision with the open door caused Kulikov serious injury. The force of that impact into an unprotected metal door frame caused all of Kulikov's small ailments to exacerbate the injury symptoms.


Kulikov has missed the past 11 games. He has missed 26 games this season which is difficult for him to impress Sabres brass while he is playing in an expiring contract.


Kulikov has not played in a game since December 27.

Kulikov will add an additional crease clearing presence and a quick up puck distributor.

“Hopefully, it’s the last time I had to rehab it,” Kulikov said. “At this point, it feels better than it ever did at any point of the season".



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Los Angeles Kings GM Dean Lombardi told the team website on Tuesday that the soonest Jonathan Quick is likely to return to the starting lineup is "early March".

Before today, the Kings have been hopeful for Quick to return from injury in February.

Quick suffered a serious groin injury months ago and has not resumed skating in any capacity.


Lombardi acknowledged that there was a big difference between Quick getting onto the ice to test his injured groin in a limited step forward, and actually getting onto the ice and facing shots in a team structured setting.

The Kings have fallen and they can't get up.

They need help. Badly!

Quick hasn't played since injuring his groin in the first period of the Kings' season opener against the San Jose Sharks on October 12.

Quick played an NHL-high 68 games last season and was a Vezina Trophy finalist after going 40-23-5 with a 2.22 GAA, .918 SV% and five shutouts.


Lombardi's listless Kings have lost four straight games in regulation. They have just 48 points in 47 games played. Their goaltending has been so-so behind a weak D corps and a struggling forward group.

Lombardi has $5,697,380 in LTIR relief with Quick's salary.

I think Lombardi made his announcement today because he is about to go to the trade market in order to bolster his team's offense.

Lombardi should thank his lucky stars that Jeff Carter is healthy and carrying the entire team in his back this season. Carter already has 24 goals. Tanner Pearson has 14 goals. Tyler Toffoli has been out of the lineup for two and a half weeks with a lower body injury and has 8 goals. Alec Martinez, Dustin Brown, Trevor Lewis, and Jake Muzzin all have 6 goal each.

Anze Kopitar, the $10 million man has been a monumental disappointment with just 4 goals this season. Ditto Marian Gaborik.

Lombardi will have to trade a top four D in exchange for a veteran, top six scoring forward.


I've been telling you for months about the Kings scouting the Buffalo Sabres and Colorado Avalanche heavily. The Kings are in desperate need of a scoring top six forward who can add even strength scoring and power play points production. Lombardi is not looking for a rental player. He wants a scoring forward with term on his contract.

Evander Kane and Matt Duchene continue to be linked via trade rumors to La La Land.


Kane has scored 12 goals in his past 22 games, 11 of which have come a 5v5. Six of Kane's goals are considered "important goals" because they have either tied the game or given the Sabres the lead in a game.

Kane is a $5.25M AAV this and next season.

In 40 games this season, Duchene has 15 goals and 13 assists and is averaging 18:39 TOI this season.

The 26-year-old forward hasn't even his his peak potential yet and has two more seasons remaining on his current contract. Duchene is a reasonable, value contract at $6M AAV.

Duchene is a 20 goal, 60+ point man.




***





Is Bob Murray clearing salary cap space in order to make a trade?

The Anaheim Ducks have placed winger Stefan Noesen on waivers.

Noesen has played in 12 games with the Anaheim Ducks this season. Like Shea Theodore, Noesen has been a yo yo on a string and has been all season long. The kid has been called up fro AHL San Diego only to be sent back down to be called back up multiple times.

In San Diego, Noesen has 6 goals, 9 assists and 40 PIMs in 22 games.

Noesen has two goals while averaging 6:33 of ice time as a fourth liner.

The 23 year old was originally a first round pick , 21st overall, of the Ottawa Senators from the Plymouth Whalers in 2011. Noesen was traded to The Ducks with Jakub Silfverberg as part of the Bobby Ryan blockbuster deal in July of 2013. Noesen has played a total of 14 career NHL games, all with the Ducks.

Along with Theodore, Noesen has been shuffled back and forth on a near-daily basis over the last couple of weeks. The waiver comes as a surprise as Silfverberg was injured late last week when Colorado D-man Nikita Zadorov dropped Sifverberg with a thumping body check causing Silfverberg's head to slam off the ice surface.


The reason for the Noesen and Theodore yo yo moves is for Murray to conserve as much salary cap space as possible, it also has delayed the inevitability of waiving Noesen.




Buffalo Sabres GM Tim Murray drafted Noesen to the Ottawa Senators. Murray also was involved in sending Noesen and Silfverberg to Anaheim in exchange for Bobby Ryan.


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